U.S. patent number 10,293,718 [Application Number 15/629,268] was granted by the patent office on 2019-05-21 for motion control seating system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Apple Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Randol W. Aikin, John J. Baker, Filip Ilievski, Matthew E. Last, Donald J. Novotney, Stephen P. Zadesky, Kathryn C. Zhou. Invention is credited to Randol W. Aikin, John J. Baker, Filip Ilievski, Matthew E. Last, Donald J. Novotney, Stephen P. Zadesky, Kathryn C. Zhou.
United States Patent |
10,293,718 |
Ilievski , et al. |
May 21, 2019 |
Motion control seating system
Abstract
A seating system for a vehicle is disclosed. The seating system
includes a support surface having a surface contour formed by first
springs having fixed stiffness values, a frame, and second springs
having adjustable stiffness values coupling the support surface and
the frame. The first springs and the second springs together
control motion of the support surface in relation to motion of the
frame.
Inventors: |
Ilievski; Filip (Foster City,
CA), Baker; John J. (Campbell, CA), Zhou; Kathryn C.
(Cupertino, CA), Last; Matthew E. (San Jose, CA), Aikin;
Randol W. (San Francisco, CA), Novotney; Donald J. (San
Jose, CA), Zadesky; Stephen P. (Portola Valley, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ilievski; Filip
Baker; John J.
Zhou; Kathryn C.
Last; Matthew E.
Aikin; Randol W.
Novotney; Donald J.
Zadesky; Stephen P. |
Foster City
Campbell
Cupertino
San Jose
San Francisco
San Jose
Portola Valley |
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
66540972 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/629,268 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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62353247 |
Jun 22, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N
2/501 (20130101); B60N 2/976 (20180201); B60N
2/002 (20130101); B60N 2/914 (20180201); B60N
2/99 (20180201); B60N 2/0244 (20130101); B60N
2/54 (20130101); B60N 2/546 (20130101); B60N
2/504 (20130101); B60N 2002/0268 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60N
2/54 (20060101); B60N 2/02 (20060101); B60N
2/90 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;297/284.9,284.2,284.3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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19910877 |
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Jan 2006 |
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DE |
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0311993 |
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Jan 1995 |
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EP |
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Other References
boseride.com, "Technology: Fast Powerful Precise", Seat Suspension
Technology to Reduce Drive Back Pain,
http://www.boseride.com/seat-suspension-technology, Date Unknown,
Downloaded Mar. 14, 2016, 5 pp. cited by applicant .
searsseating.com, "Active Suspension System", Sears Seating,
Technology, Innovations,
http://www.searsseating.com/technology/innovations/ Date Unknown,
Downloaded May 16, 2016, 2 pp. cited by applicant .
Churchill, Christopher B., et al., "Dynamically Variable Negative
Stiffness Structures", Research Article, Materials Engineering,
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/2/e1500778.full-text.pdf+html,
Feb. 19, 2016, 7 pp. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Wendell; Mark R
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Young Basile Hanlon &
MacFarlane, P.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application
Ser. No. 62/353,247, filed Jun. 22, 2106, and entitled "Motion
Control Seating System," the contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A seating system for a vehicle, comprising: a support surface
formed by first springs having fixed stiffness values; a frame;
second springs having adjustable stiffness values and directly
coupling the first springs and the frame, wherein the second
springs include buckling elements and actuators operable to
compress and decompress the buckling elements; and a control unit
operable to send commands to the actuators to adjust the adjustable
stiffness values of the second springs by compressing and
decompressing the buckling elements, wherein the first springs and
the second springs together control motion of the support surface
in relation to motion of the frame.
2. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the support surface is at
least one of a seat base or a seat back.
3. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the first springs are
leaf springs extending generally in series and parallel to form the
support surface.
4. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the second springs have
negative stiffness values.
5. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the control unit sends
commands based on output signals from sensors.
6. The seating system of claim 5, wherein the sensors are operable
to generate output signals based on at least one of vibration
information, vehicle information, occupant information, or external
environment information.
7. The seating system of claim 1, further comprising: a cushion
including bolsters having adjustable inflation levels, wherein the
cushion is coupled to the first springs forming the support surface
and wherein a surface contour of the support surface is further
formed by the cushion.
8. The seating system of claim 7, further comprising: a control
unit operable to send commands to adjust the inflation levels of
the bolsters and the adjustable stiffness values of the second
springs.
9. The seating system of claim 8, wherein the control unit sends
commands to adjust the inflation levels of the bolsters and the
adjustable stiffness values of the second springs based on output
signals from sensors.
10. The seating system of claim 9, wherein the sensors are operable
to generate output signals based on at least one of vibration
information, vehicle information, occupant information, or external
environment information.
11. A seating system for a vehicle, comprising: first springs
forming a support surface; a cushion coupled to the support surface
and including bolsters having adjustable inflation levels; a frame;
and second springs having adjustable stiffness values directly
coupling the first springs and the frame, wherein the bolsters, the
first springs, and the second springs together dampen vibration
passed from the frame to a vehicle occupant seated on the support
surface.
12. The seating system of claim 11, wherein the second springs are
spring systems having negative stiffness values, the spring systems
each comprising: buckling elements in series with a first
compressible spring and an anchor and in parallel with a second
compressible spring supporting the support surface; and an actuator
operable to compress and decompress the first compressible spring
and the buckling elements in response to commands from a control
unit, wherein motion of the buckling elements actively tunes
resonant vibration frequencies to dampen vibrations passed from the
frame to the vehicle occupant seated on the support surface.
13. The seating system of claim 11, further comprising: sensors
operable to generate output signals based on at least one of
vibration information, vehicle information, occupant information,
or external environment information; and a control unit operable to
send commands to adjust the inflation levels of the bolsters and
the adjustable stiffness values of the second springs based on the
output signals.
14. The seating system of claim 11, wherein the support surface has
a surface contour formed by the first springs, wherein the first
springs have fixed stiffness values, and wherein the first springs
having fixed stiffness values further control motion of the support
surface in relation to motion of the frame.
15. The seating system of claim 14, wherein the first springs
having fixed stiffness values are leaf springs extending generally
in at least one of series or parallel to form the support
surface.
16. A seating system for a vehicle, comprising: first springs
having fixed stiffness values, the first springs extending in
parallel to form a support surface of a seat base or a seat back,
the first springs having spring surfaces that support a vehicle
occupant; second springs having adjustable stiffness values, the
second springs directly coupling the first springs and a frame; a
sensor operable to generate an output signal based on at least one
of vibration information, vehicle information, occupant
information, or external environment information; and a control
unit operable to send a command to adjust the adjustable stiffness
values of the second springs based on the output signal from the
sensor.
17. The seating system of claim 16, wherein the second springs have
negative stiffness values, the second springs each comprising:
buckling elements in series with a first compressible spring and an
anchor and in parallel with a second compressible spring supporting
the first springs forming the support surface; and an actuator
operable to compress and decompress the first compressible spring
and the buckling elements in response to commands from the control
unit.
18. The seating system of claim 16, further comprising: a cushion
including bolsters having adjustable inflation levels, the cushion
coupled to the first springs forming the support surface with a
surface contour of the seat base or the seat back further formed by
the cushion.
19. The seating system of claim 18, wherein the control unit is
operable to send commands to adjust the inflation levels of the
bolsters based on the output signal from the sensor.
20. The seating system of claim 16, wherein the first springs are
leaf springs further extending generally in series and parallel to
form the support surface.
Description
FIELD
The application relates generally to seating systems for vehicles.
More particularly, described embodiments relate to controlling
occupant motion using seating systems.
BACKGROUND
Vehicle occupants can experience different types of motion that can
cause physical discomfort. Vibration, for example, can negatively
impact blood flow and nerve sensation of the vehicle occupant,
particularly during driving periods having a long duration. Motion
sickness is another common discomfort reported by vehicle
occupants. Motion sickness is the result of discordant stimuli of
the vestibular system and visual system, occurring, for example,
when motion is felt, but not seen by the vehicle occupant, as is
common when the occupant is reading a book or using a screened
device as a passenger in the vehicle. Reducing or removing the
effects of vibration and discordant stimuli can improve the overall
comfort of vehicle occupants.
SUMMARY
This disclosure relates to motion control seating systems. One
aspect of the disclosure is a seating system for a vehicle. The
seating system includes a support surface having a surface contour
formed by first springs having fixed stiffness values, a frame, and
second springs having adjustable stiffness values coupling the
support surface and the frame. The first springs and the second
springs together control motion of the support surface in relation
to motion of the frame.
Another aspect of the disclosure is another seating system for a
vehicle. The seating system includes a support surface; a cushion
coupled to the support surface and including bolsters having
adjustable inflation levels; a frame; and springs having adjustable
stiffness values coupling the support surface and the frame. The
bolsters and the springs together control motion of the support
surface in relation to motion of the frame.
Another aspect of the disclosure is another seating system for a
vehicle. The seating system includes a support surface having a
surface contour formed by first springs having fixed stiffness
values; second springs having adjustable stiffness values coupling
the support surface and a frame; a sensor operable to generate an
output signal based on at least one of vibration information,
vehicle information, occupant information, or external environment
information; and a control unit operable to send a command to
adjust the adjustable stiffness values of the second springs based
on the output signal from the sensor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The description herein is made with reference to the drawings
described below.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seating system for a
vehicle.
FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view through the seating system of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a partial detail view showing a spring system with
variable stiffness for use with the seating systems of FIGS. 1 and
2.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another seating system for a
vehicle.
FIG. 5 is an exploded sectional view through the seating system of
FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A vehicle occupant can experience motion sickness while riding in a
vehicle. Motion sickness can be caused by low frequency vibrations,
for example, between zero and two hertz. The vehicle occupant can
also experience discomfort caused by moderate frequency vibrations,
for example, between twelve and sixteen hertz. Vibrations in these
ranges can be difficult to dampen using only a vehicle suspension
since active control of the vehicle suspension is limited based on
the natural resonance of the vehicle due to the vehicle's size and
weight.
Existing methods of reducing motion sickness experienced by the
vehicle occupant are inconsistent or ineffective. These methods
range from pharmaceutical (e.g., taking medications such as
antihistamines), to behavioral (e.g., looking out the vehicle
window or adjusting a seating position), to structural (e.g.,
suspension design of the vehicle). Existing systems that reduce
moderate frequency vibrations can create packaging space, weight,
and/or power complications. For example, passive air springs and
scissor-activated lift systems that isolate the seat from
vibrations require a large amount of packaging space and add
excessive weight to the vehicle. In another example, audio-based
coils that counteract movement due to frequency vibrations require
excessive amounts of power.
The seating systems described below can better control motion of a
support surface, such as a seat base or a seat back, by working in
conjunction with an active suspension system of the vehicle. The
seating systems described below can reduce discomfort during longer
duration rides and can reduce motion sickness in vehicle occupants
that may be engaged in reading, working on a screened device, or
watching a movie while in a moving vehicle.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seating system 100 for a
vehicle. The seating system 100 includes support surfaces 102a,b
designed to support a vehicle occupant. In this example, the
support surface 102a is a seat base and the support surface 102b is
a seat back. The support surfaces 102a,b can be formed of a variety
of materials, such as polymers, metals, composites, and/or
high-density foams. The support surfaces 102a,b can support the
vehicle occupant directly or can be used with other materials to
support the vehicle occupant. The support surfaces 102a,b have
surface contours formed by sets of springs 104a,b,c having passive,
that is, fixed stiffness values.
The springs 104a,b,c can be positioned, shaped, and tuned to
optimize vibration isolation for a specific vehicle occupant, for
example, a 50.sup.th percentile occupant as designated by federal
motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS). Shaping the springs
104a,b,c to form the surface contour of the support surfaces 102a,b
and selecting fixed stiffness values can also be based on other
specific vehicle occupant shapes or sizes. Depending on the
positioning, shaping, and tuning selected, lighter or heaver
vehicle occupants being supported by the support surfaces 102a,b
can change the resonant frequency of the springs 104a,b,c forming
the support surfaces 102a,b and modify the vibration-minimizing
characteristics of the seating system 100.
In the example of FIG. 1, the springs 104a,b,c are sets of leaf
springs extending generally in series and/or parallel with each
other to form the surface contours of the support surfaces 102a,b.
The sets of springs 104a,b include individual springs that extend
generally parallel to other individual springs in the sets from one
side of the support surface 102a,b to the other side of the support
surface 102,b. The set of springs 104c alternatively includes
individual springs that extend generally in series with other
individual springs in the set from one side of the support surface
102a to the other side of the support surface 102a. The layout or
pattern chosen for the various sets of springs 104a,b,c will be
based on characteristics of the vehicle occupant being
supported.
The support surfaces 102a,b formed by the springs 104a,b,c are
coupled to a frame 106 as further described in reference to FIG. 2.
The frame 106 serves as a load carrier, for example, in cases of
vehicular impact, giving a robust structure to the seating system
100. The frame 106 can be designed to affix the seating system 100
to the vehicle such that vibrations from the vehicle transmit to
the frame 106 and to the support surfaces 102a,b and the springs
104a,b,c before reaching the vehicle occupant.
FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view through a seating system 200
as indicated in FIG. 1. The seating system 200 includes support
surfaces 202a,b having surface contours formed by springs 204a,b,c,
Here, the support surface 202a is a seat base and the support
surface 202b is a seat back. The springs 204a,b,c are sets of
passive, or fixed, stiffness leaf springs extending generally in
series and/or parallel with each other to form the surface contours
of the support surfaces 202a,b. In order to improve the
anti-vibration performance of the seating system 200, the support
surfaces 202a,b formed by the springs 204a,b,c are coupled to the
frames 206a,b by spring systems 208 having adjustable stiffness
values, that is, the spring systems 208 have stiffness values that
can be varied, changed, or adjusted.
Use of the springs 204a,b,c having fixed stiffness values along
with the spring systems 208 having adjustable or variable stiffness
values enables dynamic adjustment of the seating system 200. This
dynamic design can achieve significant improvements in vibration
isolation of vehicle occupants from the frame 206a,b and the
vehicle. The spring systems 208 having variable stiffness values
can be implemented in parallel (as shown) or in series to the
springs 204a,b,c having fixed stiffness values in order to actively
adjust the overall stiffness of the seating system 200 and tune the
resonant frequencies to minimize the transmitted vibrations into
the vehicle occupant.
Achieving active vibration control for vehicle occupants can be
based on combining the two mechanical systems (i.e., the support
surfaces 202a,b formed by the springs 204a,b,c and the spring
systems 208 coupling the support surfaces 202a,b to the frame
206a,b) with an electrical system. The electrical system can
include a control unit 210 and various sensors 212a,b. In one
example, the sensors 212a,b can be used to analyze the motion of
various components within the seating system 200. The sensors
212a,b can include, for example, accelerometers, and motion
information captured by the sensors 212a,b can be analyzed by a
central processing unit of the control unit 210 to make a
determination as to how to modify stiffness values of the spring
systems 208.
In another example, the sensors 212a,b can include weight sensors.
The weight sensors can be used to determine overall weight and
distribution of weight for the vehicle occupant on the support
surfaces 202a,b of the seating system 200. In one example, the
vehicle occupant may be heavier than a design standard, and the
stiffness values of the spring systems 208 can be increased to
better support and isolate the vehicle occupant from vibrations,
shifting the resonant frequency of the seating system 200
accordingly. In another example, the vehicle occupant may be
lighter than a design standard, and the stiffness values of the
spring systems 208 can be decreased or softened, shifting the
resonant frequency of the seating system 200 accordingly.
The control unit 210, the spring systems 208 having adjustable
stiffness values, and the various sensors 212a,b are small and can
easily be packaged into a reasonable volume that can fit in a small
sedan or similar sized vehicle. For example, and as shown in the
exploded view of FIG. 2, the spring systems 208 and the sensors
212a,b can be packaged within rail-type elements of the frame
206a,b, with load bearing connections of the spring systems 208
being coupled to specific locations beneath the support surfaces
202a,b. The control unit 210 can be located at a juncture of the
support surfaces 202a,b, as shown, or can be located remotely
within the vehicle.
FIG. 3 is a partial detail view showing a spring system 308 with
variable stiffness for use with a seating system 300. The seating
system 300 includes a support surface 302a for supporting a vehicle
occupant. A surface contour of the support surface 302a can be
formed, for example, by springs 304a,c having fixed stiffness
values, where the springs 304a,c are similar to the springs
104a,b,c and 204a,b,c described in reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The
spring system 308 in FIG. 3 is shown as supported within internal
structure of frame 306a. The spring system 308 can be coupled both
to the frame 306a and to the support surface 302a by various
anchors 314. The type or style of the anchors 314 can vary
depending on the mechanical interfaces between the spring system
308, the frame 306a, and the support surface 302a. Alternatively,
other coupling mechanisms can secure the spring system 308 to the
frame 306 and the support surface 302a.
The spring system 308 in FIG. 3 is a negative stiffness or
stiffness-correcting device. Near the center of the spring system
308, a generally vertically-extending spring 316 having a fixed
stiffness value supports the weight of the vehicle occupant on the
support surface 302a. The spring 316 can be compressed and
decompressed as indicated by its adjacent arrow. At one end of the
spring system 308, a generally horizontally-extending spring 318
acts in a perpendicular manner to the spring 316. The spring 318
can be compressed and decompressed as indicated by its adjacent
arrow. The other end of the spring system 308 is held fixed,
forming a cantilever.
The spring system 308 also includes an actuator 320 operable to
compress and decompress buckling elements 322 based on commands
received from a control unit 310. The actuator 320 can compress or
decompress the spring 318, causing bodies of the buckling elements
322 to bend or change in curvature, with centers of the buckling
elements 322 moving up and down as indicated by adjacent arrows
depending on the compression of the spring 318. While being
compressed (or decompressed), the preload of the spring 318 is
adjusted, and in combination with the associated changes to the
stiffness values of the buckling elements 322 based on the
described bending, a variable stiffness value for the overall
spring system 308 is achieved.
Stiffness values of the spring system 308 change in a non-linear
manner, as the buckling elements 322 can be designed as bendable
structures with directional instabilities. In other words, the
spring 318 can be repositioned and the buckling elements 322 can be
bent using the actuator 320 to achieve desirable stiffness
properties. Combined with the damping effect of the passive springs
304a,c of the support surface 302a, the seating system 300 is able
to quickly and effectively tune stiffness characteristics
independent of the applied load (i.e., the weight of the vehicle
occupant). The spring system 308 is an actively variable stiffness
structure that can reduce vibrations transmitted from the road via
the vehicle to the vehicle occupant. Reducing vibrations can reduce
long-drive discomfort of vehicle occupants.
The control unit 310 can be designed to send commands to the
actuator 320 based on output signals from various sensors
associated with the seating system 300. For example, and as briefly
described in respect to the sensors 212a,b of FIG. 2, sensors (not
shown) operable to generate output signals utilized by the seating
system 300 can include accelerometers that detect vibration in a
relevant range (0.1-100 Hz) and send vibration information to the
control unit 310. Sensors can also include weight sensors that
determine a weight and weight distribution of the vehicle occupant
on the support surface 302a and send occupant information to the
control unit 310. Other types of sensors external to the seating
system 300 can also generate output signals for use by the control
unit 310. In another example, the control unit 310 can receive
vibration information from a vehicle suspension system. The
vibration information from the suspension system can indicate how
vibration is being dampened directly by the vehicle suspension such
that the seating system 300 can choose appropriate stiffness values
for the spring system 308.
The control unit 310 can also receive output signals from sensors
associated with vehicle navigation or autonomous control
representative of external environment information. For example, in
vehicles equipped with radar, LIDAR, and/or vision systems, nearby
vehicles or other obstacles can be identified and tracked. Object
information such as range, range rate, and classification can be
weighed by the control unit 310. In one example, a proximate
position and/or erratic dynamic behavior associated with a nearby
vehicle or other object can indicate a need for change in vibration
damping in the seating system 300 in order to notify the vehicle
occupant. External environment information can also include, for
example, local temperature and weather conditions, the time of day,
visibility level, road conditions such as wet, dry, icy, or snowy,
and other information relating to the external environment in which
the vehicle operates.
Upon receiving the respective output signals from the various
sensors, the control unit 310 can send commands to tune stiffness
values of the spring system 308 to match an operation mode of the
vehicle or react to an observed activity in the external
environment. For example, a softer stiffness valued can be chosen
during autonomous vehicle operation while the vehicle occupants are
resting, reading, or sleeping. In another example, damping by the
spring system 308 can be reduced or completely eliminated if
external environment information indicates that one or more vehicle
occupants needs to pay close attention to operation of the
vehicle.
The seating system 300 can be designed to operate without input
from a vehicle occupant, such that no controls are made available
to the vehicle occupant. Alternatively, a set of commands or
buttons can be made available to receive inputs that allow the
vehicle occupant to modify the damping and support provided by the
seating system 300. For example, in some cases the vehicle occupant
may wish to experience road vibrations or experience a more
intense, interactive ride. In some cases, the vehicle occupant may
wish to experience some vibration as a soothing or massage
sensation provided by the seating system 300.
Though the seating system 300 is described in reference to the
negative-stiffness spring system 308, adjustable stiffness values
can also be achieved using springs with switchable volume bladders.
For example, increasing a volume in a switchable volume bladder
will increase pressure of the included fluid (e.g. air, water) in
order to provide an equivalent position of the support surface
302a. At the same time, the stiffness value will have changed,
modifying the damping provided by the seating system 300. Both the
switchable volume bladders and the repositionable buckling elements
322 described previously can be actuated at sufficient speed to
dampen vibration inputs.
The above seating systems 100, 200, 300 address means to counteract
vibration that causes general discomfort, for example, over longer
duration trips within a vehicle. Other types of motion at different
frequencies can cause motion sickness. The human vestibular system
controls a vehicle occupant's response to roll, pitch, yaw, lateral
acceleration, and longitudinal acceleration in the vehicle. Low
frequency vibrations and oscillations are understood to be the
largest contributors to motion sickness, with frequencies of
approximately 0.2 Hz generating feelings of queasiness in vehicle
occupants prone to experiencing motion sickness. Additional
improvements to seating systems can be made to counteract and/or
reduce these oscillations and vibrations as described below.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another seating system 400 for
a vehicle. The seating system 400 includes cushions 423a,b,c
designed to support a vehicle occupant. The cushions 423a,b,c can
include outer surfaces formed of conventional seat cover materials
(e.g. vinyl, leather, cloth) or any other suitable materials.
Beneath the support surfaces, the cushions 423a,b,c can include
bolsters 424a,b,c,d having adjustable inflation levels and arranged
in a pattern allowing finely-tuned positioning of the vehicle
occupant. The cushions 423a,b,c and the bolsters 424a,b,c,d can be
used with both a conventional vehicle seat or in combination with
the adjustable-stiffness, contoured support surfaces 202a,b and
302a described in FIGS. 2 and 3 above (and FIG. 5 below).
The bolsters 424a,b,c,d can be actuated independently,
concurrently, or in an iterative pattern to counteract motion in
the low frequency range, that is, frequencies under 2 Hz. In other
words, inflation levels of the bolsters 424a,b,c,d can be modified
either independently or in concert to anticipate and/or reduce the
motion experienced by the vehicle occupant. Changes in inflation
level of the bolsters 424a,b,c,d can be accomplished by pneumatic
actuation. For example, a pump (not shown) or other source of gas
(e.g., air) can work in conjunction with valves to control the
inflation level within the bolsters 424a,b,c,d.
In one example, controlled inflation/deflation of the bolsters 424a
in the seat base can counteract small vertical displacements of the
vehicle occupant. In another example, controlled
inflation/deflation of the bolsters 424b,c in the seat back can be
used to counteract a rolling or yaw-type motion of the vehicle. In
another example, controlled inflation/deflation of the bolsters
424d in the headrest can be used to counteract a pitching motion of
the vehicle. The various bolsters 424a,b,c,d can be actively
inflated/deflated either before (prediction) or after (treatment)
motion sickness-inducing events. Changes in inflation levels of at
least some of the bolsters 424a,b,c,d can be used to queue upcoming
changes in vehicle motion, that is, physical stimuli can create an
expectation of what motion changes are coming in the environment,
to combat these changes, and to comfort the vehicle occupant after
the motion occurs.
FIG. 5 is an exploded sectional view through a seating system 500
as indicated FIG. 4. The seating system 500 includes support
surfaces 502a,b having surface contours formed by springs 504a,b,
Here, the support surface 502a is a seat base and the support
surface 502b is a seat back. The springs 504a,b can be leaf springs
having fixed stiffness values that extend generally in series
and/or parallel with each other to form the surface contours of the
support surfaces 502a,b in a manner similar to that described in
respect to the springs 204a,b,c of FIG. 2. The support surfaces
502a,b formed by the springs 504a,b can be coupled to frames 506a,b
by spring systems 508 having adjustable stiffness values that are
adjustable in a manner similar to that described in respect to the
spring system 308 of FIG. 3.
The seating system 500 can include cushions 523a,b,c, and bolsters
524a,b,c,d having adjustable inflation levels. The cushions
523a,b,c can be coupled to the support surfaces 502a,b and the
overall surface contour of the seating system 500 can be further
formed by the cushions 523a,b,c. The seating system 500 can also
include a control unit 510. The control unit 510 can be configured
to send commands to actuate valves (not shown) to adjust inflation
levels of the bolsters 524a,b,c,d, and the valves can either be
located in the seating system 500 directly or can be located in a
remote, centralized system.
The seating system 500 can include various sensors 512a,b in
communication with the control unit 510. The sensors 512a,b can be
used to analyze the motion of various components within the seating
system 500. Output signals from the sensors 512a,b can be analyzed
by a central processing unit of the control unit 510. The control
unit 510 is operable to send commands to adjust inflation levels of
the bolsters 524a,b,c,d as well as to send commands to adjust the
stiffness values of the springs systems 508 based on the output
signals from the sensors 512a,b.
The sensors 512a,b can be accelerometers or weight sensors similar
to those described in reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Other types of
sensors external to the seating system 500 can also generate output
signals for use by the control unit 510 of the seating system 500.
For example, image sensors can be used to detect facial
expressions, eye dilation, sweat, skin tone, swallowing frequency,
posture, or other occupant information associated the vehicle
occupant. This occupant information can be used to determine
whether motion sickness is being experienced by the vehicle
occupant or whether changes made to the bolsters 524a,b,c,d or the
spring systems 508 of the seating system 500 have relieved symptoms
of motion sickness.
In another example, vehicle sensors (e.g. LIDAR, radar, external
cameras, GPS, etc.) can be used to determine future vehicle motion
based on external environment information. Use of external
environment information can support the control unit 510 sending
commands to adjust inflation levels of the bolsters 524a,b,c,d in a
pattern to provide a queue or indication to the vehicle occupant
that changes in vehicle motion are expected. In another example, a
restraint system (not shown) can include sensors such as
accelerometers that detect gastrointestinal activity (e.g. stomach
rumbling) of the vehicle occupant to determine if counteractive use
of the bolsters 524a,b,c,d would reduce motion sickness.
The seating system 500 can be designed to operate in conjunction
with an active suspension system of the vehicle to further filter
vibrations or other motion experienced by the vehicle occupant. For
example, vibration information and vehicle information such as
steering angles, yaw rate, acceleration rate, etc. of the vehicle
can be sent to the control unit 510 for use in adjusting inflation
levels of the bolsters 524a,b,c,d. Implementation of the described
seating system 500 can be automatic, or it can be enabled/disabled
by the vehicle occupant using a button, a program, a switch, or
another input mechanism. Additionally, the operation of the seating
system 500 can be done in conjunction with other functions, such as
massage or pressure point relief for the vehicle occupant.
Motion of the various components within the seating systems 100,
200, 300, 400, 500 described above can be provided by a combination
of mechanical, pneumatic, or other motion-inducing systems. During
rapid adjustments, any electric drive motors can be overdriven (for
example, by increasing the drive current over typical actuation
current) to enable quickly reaching the desired spring rates,
inflation levels, etc. in order to dampen input vibration,
counteract upcoming or current vehicle motion such as pitch, roll,
and yaw, and position the vehicle occupant to improve comfort and
reduce motion sickness.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device 626.
The computing device 626 can be a single computing device or a
system that includes multiple computing devices working
cooperatively. As an example, the computing device 626 could be a
vehicle-based computing device such as the control units 210, 310,
410, 510 or a vehicle ECU that sends commands to various components
of the seating systems 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 in the
above-described embodiments. Alternatively, the computing device
626 could be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, or a
mobile device such as a smart phone.
In the illustrated example, the computing device 626 includes a
processor 628, a memory device 630, a storage device 632, one or
more input devices 634, and one or more output devices 636 which
are interconnected by a bus 638. The computing device 626 can also
include a bus interface 640 for connecting peripheral devices to
the bus 638.
The processor 628 can be any type of device that is able to process
or manipulate information, including devices that are currently
known and devices that may be developed in the future. As an
example, the processor 628 can be a conventional central processing
unit (CPU). Although the illustrated example shows a single
processor, multiple processors can be used instead of a single
processor.
The memory device 630 can be used to store information for
immediate use by the processor 628. The memory device 630 includes
either or both of a random access memory (RAM) device and a read
only memory (ROM) device. The memory device 630 can be used to
store information, such as program instructions that can be
executed by the processor 628, and data that is stored by and
retrieved by the processor 628. In addition, portions of the
operating system of the computing device 626 and other applications
that are being executed by the computing device 626 can be stored
by the memory device during operation of the computing device
626.
The storage device 632 can be used to store large amounts of data
persistently. As examples, the storage device 632 can be a hard
disk drive or a solid state drive.
The input devices 634 can include any type of device that is
operable to generate computer interpretable signals or data in
response to user interaction with the computing device 626, such as
physical interaction, verbal interaction, or non-contacting
gestural interaction. As examples, the input devices 634 can
include one or more of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-sensitive panel
with or without an associated display, a trackball, a stylus, a
microphone, a camera, or a three-dimensional motion capture
device.
The output devices 636 can include any type of device that is able
to relay information in a manner that can be perceived by a user.
As examples, the output devices 636 can include one or more of an
LCD display screen, an LED display screen, a CRT display screen, a
printer, an audio output device such as a speaker, or a haptic
output device. In some implementations, the output devices 636
include a display screen and the input devices 634 include a touch
sensitive panel that is integrated into the display screen to
define a touch-sensitive display screen.
The bus 638 transfers signals and/or data between the components of
the computing device 626. Although depicted as a single bus, it
should be understood that multiple or varying types of buses can be
used to interconnect the components of the computing device 626.
The bus interface 640 can be any type of device that allows other
devices, whether internal or external, to connect to the bus 638.
In one implementation, the bus interface 640 allows connection to a
controller area network (CAN) bus of a vehicle.
* * * * *
References